Earlham Primary School

Earlham Primary School Earlham Grove, London, N22 5HJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 Pupils’ achievement has improved since the previous inspection but it requires further improvement because it is not yet good. Pupils generally make the expected progress from their starting points in English and mathematics, although too few make strong gains.  Although the quality of teaching is improving it is not consistently good enough throughout the school to secure good achievement for pupils over time.  The work teachers give pupils to do in lessons is not always suitably challenging to make sure they make good progress.  Marking and feedback in pupils’ books do not always make clear to them how they might improve their work further.  The contribution additional adults make in lessons is not always planned in enough detail to make sure they contribute fully to pupils’ learning.  Some recently appointed leaders do not yet play a full part in supporting the school to improve further.  Information from checks made on pupils’

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

progress is not always rigorously examined to identify quickly how well all groups of pupils are achieving and where pupils need extra help to make good or better progress.  Members of the governing body have not always made sure they have undertaken relevant professional training to support them in their roles. As a consequence, they have not been confident to check how well all groups of pupils are achieving and challenge the school to improve further.

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The school has the following strengths:

 Senior leaders have made improvements and demonstrate ambition.  Accurate self-evaluation leads to a well- written and detailed improvement plan that is focused on raising pupils’ achievement.  Through effective partnership work, senior leaders have focused on improving teaching quality and have made sure staff receive effective training and guidance.  Changes to the way numeracy is taught throughout the school are helping pupils to make better progress and raise achievement in mathematics.  Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to learning. They are friendly and understand how to keep themselves safe. They enjoy the activities the school organises at break times.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes and undertook six joint observations. They observed 21 lessons and made brief visits to 14 other lessons.  Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils, staff, a representative of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors listened to groups of pupils reading. They looked at work in pupils’ books and the school’s information showing pupils’ progress.  The school’s website, development plans and records relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.  The inspection took account of 14 responses to the staff questionnaire. There were too few responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, for the inspection to take into account.

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Inspection team

Madeleine Gerard, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Gutmann Additional Inspector Samuel Ofori-Kyereh Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 Earlham Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in Nursery and Reception classes.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well-above average with pupils coming from a wide variety of different backgrounds. More pupils than the national average speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is similar to the national average. An average proportion are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and the children of service families) is well above the national average. There are currently no pupils

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Information about this school

who are looked after by the local authority and no children of service families at the school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  More pupils join and leave the school part-way through their primary education than the national average.  The school organises and manages a breakfast club.  There have been a high number of staff changes in recent times. The acting headteacher took up her post in January 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good and better teaching to raise pupils’ achievement, by:  making sure teachers match work closely to the learning needs of individuals  making sure that teachers do not talk for too long and that pupils are given ample opportunity to get on with their work  ensuring that marking and feedback make clear to pupils how to improve, and encouraging pupils to respond to teachers’ comments  ensuring teachers’ planning makes clear what additional adults are expected to do during lessons so they fully support pupils’ learning.  Improve the effectiveness of leaders, managers and governors, by:  rigorously examining the information gathered about pupils’ learning and progress to make sure that all pupils make their best progress and reach the highest standards  developing the roles of leaders of subjects and year groups to play a full part in checking and improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress in their areas of responsibility.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because progress from pupils’ starting points has not been consistently strong. Rates of progress are increasing and standards are rising although pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 remains below national averages. This is because the quality of the teaching has been uneven over time.  Rates of progress have improved in mathematics in particular, where previously pupils were making slower progress than in English. Pupils appreciate daily opportunities to learn and practise basic number facts that help them solve mathematics problems quickly. For example, pupils in Year 3 to 6 thoroughly enjoy singing their times tables together in assemblies.  Throughout the school pupils practise writing in a variety of styles each week and on a range of topics. This is helping to improve literacy skills. Pupils are encouraged to read regularly. Effective

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

teaching of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) helps pupils develop their confidence in reading unfamiliar words. An average proportion of pupils reached the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage develop confidence using their knowledge of phonics because they have plenty of opportunities to practise writing. For example, children in Reception were observed working hard to write holiday postcards with adults while others chose to write short stories for themselves in the outdoor areas.  The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs also requires improvement because rates of progress for these pupils have also been variable over time. They are not always well supported in lessons, particularly during whole-class teaching.  The progress of pupils from minority ethnic groups, including those speaking English as an

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

additional language, also requires improvement because rates of progress for these pupils have also been variable, linked to the uneven quality of teaching in classes.  The attainment at the end of Year 6 of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding shows improvement in 2012 compared with 2011. In national tests last year, Year 6 pupils who benefited from the pupil premium were slightly less than two terms behind the others in English and mathematics. This is a slightly smaller gap compared to that found nationally. Overall, the progress these pupils make from their starting points requires improvement.  From starting points below those expected for their age, children’s achievement in Nursery and Reception classes requires improvement overall. Children’s learning and progress is improving but is not yet consistently good.  Pupils who join the school part-way through their primary education settle well because pupils at

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

the school are welcoming. Although the school ensures that discrimination is tackled and every pupil has an equal chance to learn and access all the school has to offer, the achievement of these pupils also requires improvement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The impact of teaching on pupils’ progress over time has not been good enough, partly because key skills were not being taught systematically and consistently in all classes. The school’s increased focus on teaching and its impact on learning is becoming established.  As a result the quality of teaching is improving, although it requires improvement to become consistently good. An increasing amount of teaching is good but this has yet to lead to sustained improvements in learning across all classes.  Teachers do not always set tasks that are demanding enough and as a result too few pupils reach the highest standards in English and mathematics. This is because expectations are still not high enough, and lessons are not always planned carefully to make sure all pupils are suitably challenged in their work.  In some lessons pupils’ learning slows when they spend too long listening to teachers rather

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

than getting on with their work.  When additional adults sit listening to the teacher instead of giving additional help and guidance to selected pupils, their impact on pupils’ learning is reduced. Support for pupils during independent work, and in extra sessions outside classrooms, is more effective.  There are differences between classes in the amount of guidance and feedback that teachers give pupils to help them improve their work further. Teachers do not always check that pupils take responsibility for responding to their guidance and additional challenges.  Relationships between teachers, additional adults and pupils are good so that pupils are keen to learn and enthusiastic to take part in activities. Teachers manage classes effectively. Pupils’ social skills were observed developing well when teachers planned opportunities for pupils to discuss their ideas and new learning in pairs and small groups.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Personal and social skills are fostered well in Nursery and Reception because children share resources and readily join in activities together. Children in the Nursery were observed taking photographs of one another in dressing up clothes as part of a role-play activity about holidays.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is typically good. They enjoy school, work well together in lessons and have positive attitudes to learning. The school is orderly and calm. Pupils themselves comment that behaviour in lessons and around the school has improved.  Pupils appreciate the wide variety of activities that the school organises for them at break times, including games club and sports led by play leaders, and the variety of equipment for them to choose. The school’s detailed records show that sometimes a few pupils need reminders from staff about the behaviour that is expected at break times.  Anti-bullying events and discussions during assemblies, guidance about keeping safe when using computers and road safety training help pupils develop a good awareness of how to keep safe from harm. They say that incidents of bullying are rare and that staff deal with these effectively.  The school fosters good relations and this successfully encourages pupils from different

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

backgrounds to get on well together. Pupils are polite and respectful to adults and one another.  Attendance is improving as a result of rigorous checking and successful efforts by the school to work with parents, carers and pupils, although attendance rates remain below national averages overall.  The breakfast club ensures a sociable and healthy start to the school day for those pupils who attend.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The information from assessments had not always been examined effectively enough to make sure the school had a thorough knowledge of pupils’ current progress from their starting points. However, improvements to the checks made on pupils’ learning are now beginning to help leaders and teachers to have a clearer view of how well pupils make progress.  Leaders of subjects and year groups are not always involved in checking the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement within their areas of responsibility in order to contribute fully to driving further improvements.  Senior leaders show drive and determination to work closely with staff to secure improvements to teaching in order to raise pupils’ achievement.  Development planning is specific about what needs to be improved to raise standards. This is enabling the school’s leaders to measure how well the school is securing key improvements and identify where further action is needed to raise the quality of the school’s effectiveness.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The school demonstrates the capacity to improve further. As a result of effective checks made on teaching quality, decisive action to tackle staffing issues and well-chosen additional training for staff, the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning is improving swiftly.  Senior leaders and leaders of subjects have introduced changes to the way mathematics is taught throughout the school. Through learning basic number facts and problem-solving skills, pupils’ confidence is growing so they make better progress. The approach to teaching phonics and reading has also improved and is raising standards in English. Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage has improved and weekly workshops for parents and carers of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage help them to support their children’s learning at home. Leaders have successfully increased pupils’ enjoyment of school and raised the standard of their

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The leadership and management require improvement

behaviour.  The local authority provides help for the school to improve the quality of teaching, and in developing partnerships with other successful leaders, to strengthen the leadership of the school.  The governance of the school:  Governors rely heavily on the school’s leaders for information about how well the school is performing, the quality of teaching and its effectiveness. They have not always made sure they have undertaken relevant professional governors’ training to support them in their roles and ensure they are fully aware of the most up-to-date developments in education. As a result, they are not confident to compare the school’s performance against achievement nationally and to challenge the school to do better. Governors do not do enough to check the performance of all pupils throughout the academic year.  Governors are aware of teachers’ salaries but procedures to manage performance of teachers

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The leadership and management require improvement

are not always demanding enough to sustain high-quality teaching and pupils’ good progress. Governors are aware of how the school uses the pupil premium funding, but are not checking how effectively the funding is helping pupils to catch up in all classes. They are careful to make sure that the school site is secure and well maintained. Procedures to keep pupils safe meet requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 131478 Local authority Haringey Inspection number 399760

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 440 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tom Page Headteacher Oweda Harrison Date of previous school inspection 22–23 February 2012 Telephone number 020 88882780 Fax number 020 83658993 Email address admin@earlham.haringey.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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